


Needing Support and Cuddles

by LifeLover



Category: Nurse Jackie (TV)
Genre: Adorable Coop, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Episode Related, Exhaustion, First Kiss, Fluff, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Friends to Lovers, Friendship/Love, Hospital Staff as Family, Hugs, In that Eddie likes Coop, M/M, Needy Coop, Not Tunie, Protective Eddie, References to Depression, Resolved Sexual Tension, Romantic Fluff, Romantic Friendship, Sleepy Cuddles, Sleepy Kisses, Sleepy fluff, Tired Coop, Vulnerable Coop, slight AU, sorta - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-13
Updated: 2017-09-13
Packaged: 2018-12-27 12:54:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,069
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12081459
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LifeLover/pseuds/LifeLover
Summary: Takes place vaguely around the episodes in Season 3 that have Coop's mothers divorcing.  Coop is not handling the news well and not sleeping.  Jackie sends him home under the care of Eddie.  Hurt/comfort, Adorable!Coop, Protective!Eddie ... really what we all want.





	Needing Support and Cuddles

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Taste_of_Suburbia](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Taste_of_Suburbia/gifts).



> Okay - so I've been on a Peter Facinelli kick recently. Carlisle Cullen, Coop, Erik Weihenmayer, Van Ray, etc. And I've been feeling the need for people taking care of vulnerable "Peter Facinelli-character". He's just so good at portraying sweet characters who are more submissive and need taking care of and cherishment and love. Anyway, words have been good to me. So instead of sleeping before my packed college day - I decided to write that Eddie/Coop fic I promised Taste_of_Suburbia a while ago. Probably at least a year. Sorry for the delay, my dear. But I wrote over 1000 words! (Which is harder for me - I tend more toward drabbles). Have lots of fluffy sleepy cuddles and sleepy, adorable Coop. I hope you guys like!
> 
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Eddie!”

 

Eddie Walzer groaned to himself as he turned to face Jackie, who’d called his name just as he was signaling a taxi to go home from All Saints. The groan died when he saw the adorable and beautiful figure of Dr. Fitch Cooper with Jackie. The doctor may have been adorable, but at the moment, he looked like all that was holding him up was Jackie’s grip on his arm and sheer stubbornness.

 

“What’s going on?” he asked. “Nothing!” cried Coop. “Everything” declared Jackie.

 

“You need to take charge of him and get him to go home or somewhere safe and **Go. To. Sleep.** ”

 

“I don’t need sleep,” Coop argued half-heartedly. His lower lip stuck out in an adorable pout. “I’m good to still work.”

 

“No,” Jackie said. “You aren’t.”

 

“I am too.”

 

“Just take him home,” Jackie snapped, looking stressed. She threw her hands up in frustration. “The rate he’s going, he’s going to kill off half his patients!”

 

Eddie, who’d caught Coop as he had slumped forward when Jackie had released him, felt the flinch that the younger man couldn’t hide.   He glared at Jackie as he hugged Coop closer.

 

Coop must have had a really miserable expression on his face, because Jackie visibly softened and she gave a supportive squeeze to the doctor’s shoulder. She looked at Eddie.

 

“He’s exhausted, okay? I signed him out for the next couple of days so he can work through what’s going on. But I know you guys are friends now –”

 

“Of course we are,” Coop murmured weakly. Then he looked up worriedly at Eddie. “Right?”

 

Eddie closed his eyes for a second, than opened them and stared into the dark-ringed baby blues of the younger man. “Of course we are,” he said firmly. Jackie had a knowing eyebrow raised when he looked back at her that set off faint alarm bells in his head.

 

“Anyway, I think Dr. Cooper could use a friend to be there right now,” she continued. “And you were heading out anyway …. take care of him, alright?”

 

Eddie nodded solemnly as Coop couldn’t help but say “Aw, Jackie … you _do_ care.” To which Jackie shocked them both when she said kindly “Yeah I do. We all do – so get some sleep. Things will get better.” Than she went back into being her typical brisk self. “Now I’ve got patients to deal with.” And she disappeared back into the busy hive of the hospital.

 

“Wow …” Coop slurred softly. “Visit of the alien Jackie clone.” Eddie snorted softly as he got them into the pulled-up taxi and gave them his address.

 

By the time they got to his place, Coop was dozing. His head was resting on Eddie’s shoulder, a warm weight. Eddie was able to wake him up and get him up the stairs and into his place. Luckily, he had a pair of pajamas he’d been planning on giving the other as a gift that he gave to Coop with the instructions to change and brush his teeth in the bathroom. When Coop came out, Eddie’s stomach swooped. It was slightly too large on Coop and made the young doctor look very vulnerable. Coop fidgeted with the sleeves awkwardly.

 

“You really didn’t have to do this, man.”

 

Eddie wanted to roll his eyes. “We’re friends – of course, I’ll help. Is this,” his hand gesture referring to the general pitiable exhaustion of the other, “from dealing with your moms’ divorce? Or how it affects you?”

 

Coop shrunk into himself slightly. “Yeah,” he whispered. “I guess. I’m not – I could always rely on them, y’know?”

 

“Yeah,” Eddie said quietly. He did know – every since his moms had first visited the hospital, Coop had constantly talked about how great they were. As Eddie recovered from his own problems and became friends with Coop, he realized how much the doctor loved his parents. He didn’t always have the easiest time with them, but he was always so proud to be their son. The news of the divorce had hit him hard and all the hospital staff knew it. They had thought it might help to let him figure it out on his own. **_Obviously_** , thought Eddie as eyed the slightly-swaying man, **_it wasn’t working_**. He got up and led Coop to sit on the bed. Keeping a hold of Cooper’s wrist, he continued.

 

“Do you feel like now you can’t?”

 

Coop shrugged. “Kinda?” he said wearily. “I mean I can, but not the same way as I could before. And I know I’m not that well-liked at the hospital. Not in the sense of really being able to rely on someone.”

 

Well, that wouldn’t do at all.

 

“Look at me,” Eddie ordered. As Coop did, he reached to cup the other’s face and leaned in, brushing a soothing kiss to those soft, pink lips. “You can rely on me,” he said, pulling back slightly, giving a reassuring squeeze to the thin wrist held in his grip.

 

Coop’s wide blue eyes stared at him, shocked. “Re … really?” he breathed.

 

“Yeah, really.” Eddie replied awkwardly, suddenly nervous. “That is … if, well … if you want …”

 

Coop melted into a full length hug, burying his face in Eddie’s neck. “I want.” He stated. “I’ve wanted for a … a while,” he admitted. Eddie couldn’t help but grin. Probably really goofily if he knew himself at all. Coop had his quirks, but Eddie loved him.

 

“Will you stay and sleep holding me?” came the bashful question from the quirky man in question.

 

“Of course.”

 

They got into bed and Coop snuggled into Eddie, face shmushed into his shoulder. “I hope I’m not dreaming …” came the drowsy voice. “You’re not,” Eddie said, stroking the other’s auburn hair. “Go to sleep, sweetheart. I’ll be here when you wake up and we’ll figure this out.”

 

Coop made a sleepy noise of agreement and did as he was told, while Eddie hummed songs quietly to lull him into slumber. Now that he had him, he was going to take care of him. He smiled fondly at the pretty face, relaxed in sleep. Yup – Coop trusted Eddie with his safety and Eddie would live up to that trust. He was going to take care of Coop until he could shake off this depression and be the optimistic man with the inner-child whom he loved.

 

Eddie closed his eyes and fell asleep, still holding Coop in his protective, caring embrace.


End file.
